Posts tagged to 'Geographic dispersion'

Today’s philanthropists, however, are likely to be less connected to place. The modern economy is built less on geography and more on technology – and many of those who are earning wealth are doing so in a global marketplace.

Enthusiasm, storytelling and terrific weather were all part of the Seattle setting for NCFP’s National Forum on Family Philanthropy. More than 400 registrants and presenters gathered around current themes in effective family grantmaking. What characterizes this program from any other is the overwhelming percentage of trustees and family members. CEOs and those representing other forms of grantmaking – donor advised funds, social venture groups, family office giving and more – fill out the rest of the hallways with colleague to colleague conversations.

As our philanthropic family grows more diverse and distinct – as well as more geographically distant from the roots of the founders – how do we decide who should participate in the family’s philanthropy and how they will participate?

Editor’s Note: This article addresses a strategy which an increasing number of geographically dispersed family foundations have been forced to rely upon in recent years – conducting the occasional board meeting by telephone. It is reprinted with permission from Blue Avocado, a practical and readable...

Q: My family’s foundation has traditionally given in New England and continues to support nonprofits there, but family members live all around the country. How do we keep people engaged?
A: As today’s families are more mobile than ever, geographic dispersion has become a crucial issue for family...

Among all the challenges that family philanthropies of all types face, giving families increasingly find themselves struggling with geography. In 2000, the National Center for Family Philanthropy and the Foundation Center found that the grants of a vast majority of family foundations were committed to...